Portable firearm for casting bombs and grenades by means of ordinary bullet cartridges



JuIy'ZS, 1931. 1.. SAVANI 4 1,316,265

PORTABLE FIREARM FOR CASTING BOHBS AND GRENADES BY MEANS OF ORDINARY BULLET CARTRIDGES Filed April 25, 1950 5 15 16 A 1 3 Q 12 I Patented July 28, 1931 UNETED STATES.

LUIGI SAVANI, 0F MILAN, ITALY, ASSIGNOE TO SQCIETA ITALIANA ERNESTO BREDA PER OOSTRUZIONI MECCANICHE, or MILAN, ITALY PORTABLE FIREARM FOR CASTING BOMBSTAND GRENADES BY MEANS OF ORDINARY BULLET CARTRIDGES Application filed. April 25, 1930, Serial No.

Portable fire arms are known which are adapted for casting bombs and grenades by firing ordinary bullet cartridges, whose characteristic features are means for stopping or baking the bullet Within the weapon just after it leaves the cartridge, associated with means for conveying the exploding gases against the base of the bomb or grenade placed in a casting barrel in which the same can be retained by means of spring catches and means for subsequently expelling the bullet retained in the weapons barrel.

Weapons of this type can be built in several forms. The present invention has for its object a particular embodiment of a very simple structure, very easy to handle, working perfectly when the weapon is used as an ordinary rifle and allowing the user to grade with great precision and within Very wide limits, the pressure exerted on the bomb by the exploding gases, what affords a very exact adjustment of the range of the bomb casting, up to considerable distances.

A particular embodiment relating to the present invention is shown in longitudinal section in the accompanying drawing.

In the weapon illustrated, chamber 1 in which the cartridges are lodged, is fixed in the breech of the weapon, whilst the barrel 2 is mounted on the weapon in such a manner that its rear-end 3 can be moved towards the forward end 4 of said breech, until a perfect tight-fit is secured. In such a position the weapon operates exactly as a normal ord1- nance rifle. The bullet 11 of cartridge 12 is entirely inserted in the barrel and explosion gases cannot escape through any side passage; consequently their entire expansion impulse acts on the bullet. Barrel 2 will of course be rifled, but nothing prevents its being smoothbored.

The mechanism allowing to adjust according to needs the distance of the gap between the barrel and the breech containing the cartridge chamber, may vary, but the embodiment shown is the preferred one, being the easiest to make and to use.

In the embodiment illustrated, the outer surface of the rear end of barrel 2 is provided with a worm 5 screwing in a long fixed 447,339, and in GermanylAugust 12, 1929.

sleeve 7 rigidly connected to the chamber 1 of the cartridge. The position of the barrel can consequently be easily and exactly ad justed by simply screwing or unscrewing the barrel. In order to enable this operation to be more easily performed, a spur gear 8 is cut in the outer surface of the barrel, meshing with the toothed sleeve 9 mounted loose on barrel 13 fixed to the weapon and providing means for the casting of bomb 14: with said device the barrel can be rotated by hand by seizing the beaded ring 10 of said toothed sleeve.

The sole rotation of the latter causes the barrel to shift outward or inward in sleevl Z, so as to be brought in the exact desired position. The rear mouth of the casting barrel 1?) is prolonged in a bended passage 15 through which the exploding gases are led to the casting barrel. Said passage 11; is connected at its other end with the gap existing between the forward end 4 of the cartridge chamber and the rear-end of the rifle barrel, when the latter is kept more or less at a distance of the cartridge chamber.

The amount of gas deviated towards the casting barrel 18 increases with the gap between barrel 2 and the cartridge chamber.

The constructive arrangement of the different members, may vary in practical caseiwithout exceeding the limits of the present lnvention.

hat I claim is:

1. A portable firearm for casting bombs and grenades by means of the explosion gasesv of ordinary cartridges with bullet, suitably deviated from the barrel of the rifle towards the casting barrel with which the weapon is provided, characterized by the feature that the rifle barrel is mounted on the weapon St that its rear mouth can be gradually moved away from the forward mouth of the cartridge chamber, fixed to the weapon, the passage guiding said gases towards the casting barrel being so arranged as to originate ii. the gap between the shiftable barrel and the fixed cartridge chamber during said shift.

2. A portable fire-arm for bomb and grenade casting by means of the explosion gases of ordinary cartridges with bullet, suitably deviated from the barrel of the rifle towards the casting barrel, the former being mounted on the Weapon so that its rear mouth can be gradually moved away from the forward mouth of thecartridgeohamberfixed on'the weap0n,.characterized bytthe feature-ithat said rifle barrel is screwed in a sleeve rigidlyoonnected to the oartridgechamber, enabling said barrel to move forward or backward in I said screwed sleeve.

'3. A fire-arm as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the feature thatthe rifle barrel is provided with a spur gear meshing in a geared sleeve mounted and rotating loose on the outer surface of the casting barrel, said geared 'sleevebeing solid .witha beaded hand+ring forits rotation.

In testlmony whereof, Laffix my. signature.

LUIGI SAVANI. 

